2 hours free parking for 12 days of Christmas starts today
13 December 2012
Two-hour free parking in the central city for the 12 days of Christmas, up to and including Christmas Eve, starts today (Thursday 13 December).
The free parking initiative is Rotorua District Council's Christmas gift to residents and city retail businesses.
The free parking initiative applies to metered and pay and display' parking spaces from Thursday 13 December up to and including Christmas Eve (24 December).
A 2-hour parking limit will apply and will be enforced by parking wardens. Other regular parking restrictions such a loading bays and P15 spaces will apply as usual, and parking wardens will continue to check cars for expired warrants of fitness or vehicle registration.
Mayor Kevin Winters said it was a Christmas gift to the residents and retailers of our city during pretty tough and challenging economic times for many people.
Parking meters and pay and display' machines had stickers placed on them over night ahead of the free parking period kicking off, to let people know they will not have to feed meters from 13 to 24 December. Other promotional channels being used to build awareness include newspaper and radio advertising, posters in shop windows and flyers being placed under vehicle windscreen wipers in recent days.
The cost to the council of the free parking initiative is expected to be between $20,000 and $30,000 in parking revenue not collected over the 12 days.